Government making headway or moving backwards in its antigraft drive?
(pulitika muna…)
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The World Bank (WB) had just recently released a report citing the Philippines as having faltered in its commitment to improve governance and fight corruption. Of course the administration was quick to react and had defended its anticorruption drive saying that the government is actually making headway in its campaign. Some pro-administration lawmakers had even the guts to dare the World Bank to substantiate its report with evidence as they deem it “unfair, inaccurate and misleading.”
But while those few solons need more convincing, we the civilians don’t really need any. In fact, we don’t even need the WB report to inform us that our government is faltering in the fight against corruption. For how can a society be freed of graft if the very institution that should curtail it is promoting it? Ever since GMA had been rocked by the Hello Garci controversy, all of the administration’s policies had been geared towards one intent – political survival. And when all the government thinks about is self-preservation, it doesn’t fight corruption. It breeds it.
It is for self-preservation why the administration has severely curtailed freedom of expression by implementing the calibrated preemptive response (CPR) and allowing the extrajudicial killings to continue unchecked. It is for self-preservation why the administration has severely impaired transparency and accountability in the country by issuing Executive Order 464 which bars officials from the executive, police, and the military from appearing in legislative inquiries without the President’s consent. It is for self-preservation why the administration has severely politicized the bureaucracy by appointing excess government executives – many of whom do not meet the necessary qualifications. These presidential appointments, although demoralizing to the civil service and done in complete disregard for civil service rules and regulations, are primarily being carried out to accommodate GMA’s faithful cohorts in government. Also, it is for self-preservation why GMA had amended EO 531 trimming the power of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC). As if to render the body responsible for handling cases and complaints against presidential appointees completely inutile, GMA has accorded Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita the authority to review and overrule whatever findings the PAGC may report.
Freedom of expression, transparency, accountability and quality public services and civil service are basic elements necessary to improve governance and eliminate corruption in government. But the administration’s consistent policies of self-preservation point to the failure of the administration to nurture an environment where corruption cannot thrive. But what do you expect from a leader being accused of corruption herself? What do you expect from a leader that is persistently being hounded by allegations of illegitimacy? Only leadership defined by unquestionable moral integrity and service to the people can lead the fight against corruption.
So the picture is all very clear. The very moment GMA stepped in as president the country had nowhere to go but backwards.
